CM KCR makes surprise visits to farms, tells farmers to raise crops other than paddy
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday made a surprise visit to agriculture farmlands in two villages and interacted with farmers while on his return to Hyderabad by road from Gadwal.
He stopped his convoy in two villages and interacted with farmers in fields along the National Highway-44. He suggested farmers not to sow paddy in rabi and instead opt for alternative crops such as groundnut, cotton, black gram, mung dal, bengal gram etc, which have more demand in the market.
The Chief Minister said instead of cultivating only paddy, there was a need to change the crop pattern in the state.
Rao went to Rangapur village in Pebbair mandal in Wanaparthy and Williamkonda Thanda village in Kothakota mandal and took a look at the black gram and groundnut crops.
He first stopped his convoy at Rangapur, walked up to the farmland where blackgram crops were being cultivated by farmer Maheswar Reddy. He also took a look at the groundnut crop cultivated by another farmer Ramulu.
The Chief Minister elicited information about the price both these crops are fetching in markets, how much is the yield, how many times one should water the crops from both the farmers.
The farmers replied that blackgram yield is about 8 to 12 quintals per acre and its MSP is Rs 6,300 per quintal while the market price is above Rs 8,000. The groundnut yield is about 10 to 15 quintals per acre, its MSP is Rs 5,550 per quintal and the market price is above Rs 7,000 per quintal, they said.
They said due to change in crops, land fertility has increased and this led to more yield.
The Chief Minister also took a look at the paddy kept for drying on the road in Williamkonda Thanda. He visited the groundnut crops of farmer Gokari Venkataiah. He plucked a few groundnut plants and examined the nuts.
Venkataiah told the CM that the yield has increased due to adequate availability of water and power.
Farmers were enthused at the unannounced visit of the Chief Minister and stood with him to take pictures. Rao asked agriculture minister S. Niranjan Reddy to encourage farmers to raise crops that have higher demand in the markets.
The Chief Minister, while at Gadwal, called on TRS MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy and his family to console them over the recent death of the MLA’s father Venktrami Reddy.
